Why would we limit our quotations only to those who were atheists -- especially since hardly anybody was an atheist before Darwin's book? If we study the history of our heritage, we will find that some of the most powerful ideas that led to the popular rejection of religion came from religious people. After all, it is generally the religious people who even care about religion: hardly any atheists give a rat -- and most who do still will not express an opinion because the reprisals for doing so are swift and inevitable.

Besides, wasn't it Paine who pointed out that it's the validity of the idea that matters, not the one who came up with it?

Meanwhile, we have quotations from many religionists, people who are or were more devout than even Paine. Enjoy!

Cliff Walker
"Positive Atheism" Magazine
Five years of service to
people with no reason to believe